How your body image and breast health are related
September 24, 2008 by Karen Lynch
Filed under Women's Health
You’re not going to believe what I just read!
According to a new study by the not-for-profit National Women’s Health Resource Center (NWHRC), the nation’s leading source for women’s health information, women who are dissatisfied with their overall physical appearance are significantly less likely to be up to date with preventive screenings, such as mammography and breast self-exam.
Oh goodness … this worries me so much. Just another reason to believe that developing a positive body image is key to a woman’s health and wellness.
So this seems this is a good time to ask yourself a few questions, questions posed by a few blogging colleagues of mine in the past, that I thought I’d revisit here:
- Do you feel good in your own skin?
- Does the thought of seeing yourself nude strike fear in your heart?
- Need a confidence boost?
Please love your body enough to go for preventative screenings and conduct breast self-exams. Please.
(Image: Newscom)
Such an important news flash, Karen, and a great round up of helpful posts!
In October 2006 I launced The Beautiful Women Project (www.beautifulwomenproject.org), a photo-documentary profiling thirty five women ranging in age from three through ninety with the message that it is the sum of a woman’s life experience that makes her beautiful. I purposefully chose Breast Cancer Awareness month as our launch for a very simple reason: something that all women need to do to stay healthy often turns to something unhealthy. As we scan our breasts for any changes or lumps, our eyes may wander to our arms, torsos, buttocks, legs…it is easy to begin a cycle of harsh criticizism and dislike for what is before us in the mirror. As women we must recognize that our physical bodies make up just a small part of our overall beauty – true beauty is the sum of a woman’s life experiences, how she meets her challenges and carries her experiences. This October, when doing your monthly breast exam, instead of criticizing find five things that you love about yourself. This should include at least two things you love about your body. This is a great way to change your body image and stay breast healthy.
Thanks for sharing this information with us Nancy. It’s true what you say … when we look at our bodies in the mirror, self-criticism comes easy and self-praise is harder to come by.
I love the idea of positive self-talk as we do our monthly breast self-exams!